The impacts of Large Language Models on our human experience are only starting to show their potential. The technology has amplified every single human on Earth with massive wisdom and ability to reason about and analyze any domain imaginable. This point of view presents tremendous expectations and is naive in many respects. We are learning day by day about the shortcomings, where this potential is not being realized in reliable results.
On the other hand, if we think critically about the capabilities where these models fail rarely and analyze the tasks where they can be helpful in terms of the task complexity, then we can imagine a world of new possibilities, where much mundane and boring work, human struggle to care about and focus on, could be automated or amplified by LLMs.
LLM as operating system
In this article, our goal is to imagine the architecture of a future enterprise driven by LLMs as operating system, which enables new level of effectivity and support to whatever system element our current corporations are made of.
The idea of LLM operating system comes from former director of AI in Tesla and founding member of Open AI Andrej Karpathy.
He imagined a system architecture where the super-universal ability to consider context of a given task that LLMs are founded on can be leveraged to interconnect the system interfaces with actual processes and documents on the background. If humans have the ability to use APIs and provide input for processes, or at the other end read information and make according decisions, what does it take for LLMs to do the same. Where is the limit of what LLMs with their current level of cognitive processing can handle?
Let us take a generalistic view on a company process and look more closely on how its components can analyzed in terms cognitive automation potential via the LLMs.
Process Flow Phases
Every process has three phases:
Input phase, which involves gathering and preparing all necessary data and resources required for the process. This could include raw data, documents, spreadsheets, forms, surveys, instructions, user requests, or any form of initiation criteria.
Execution phase, which is the core of the process where the actual work is performed. This could involve data processing, decision-making, physical tasks, or any operations based on the input.
Output phase, which produces the result or product of the process. This could be a report, a physical product, a decision, or any form of deliverable.
The Input
The input phase of company processes is set to undergo a significant transformation. We will witness a shift towards ubiquitous data integration, where diverse data streams from IoT devices, social media, and public databases converge. This integration, facilitated by Language and Machine Learning Models (LLMs), will create a more comprehensive and rich input landscape for business processes. Simultaneously, LLMs are expected to evolve in their cognitive abilities, acquiring advanced skills in context understanding, emotion recognition, and complex entity/concept/idea extraction.
Automated Data Collection: LLMs can gather relevant data from a wide array of sources aggregating it into a centralized system for easier processing and analysis. These sources can include text documents, emails, databases, web pages, social media feeds, and more. The purpose is to streamline the data acquisition process, making it more efficient, comprehensive, and less prone to human error.
Advanced Data Extraction and Structuring: LLMs can extract relevant information from a wide range of unstructured data sources such as emails, documents, social media posts, and web pages. By converting this unstructured data into a structured format, LLMs make it more accessible and usable for various business processes.
Natural Language Understanding (NLU): LLMs, through NLU capabilities, can interpret and understand human language in its many nuances. This allows for the processing of inputs like customer feedback or employee reports, thereby broadening the scope of data that can be utilized.
Data Enrichment and Augmentation: LLMs can enhance the quality of input data by filling in missing information, correcting inaccuracies, and providing additional context. This enriched data is more valuable and leads to more informed decision-making in subsequent process stages.
In essence, the input phase in business processes is set to be more integrated, intelligent, predictive, and collaborative, greatly enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency in the business landscape.
The Execution
The execution phase of company processes is poised for a revolutionary transformation, driven by profound advancements in automation and decision-making. We're heading towards a future where seamless automation and integration become the norm, deeply embedded across various business functions. This evolution will be significantly influenced by the synergistic use of robotics, AI, and the Internet of Things (IoT), leading to a highly interconnected and automated business environment. Additionally, the execution phase will be marked by the emergence of intelligent and adaptive systems. These systems will not only perform designated tasks but will also possess the capability to learn and adapt over time. They will handle increasingly complex scenarios and make autonomous decisions based on real-time data, thereby enhancing both efficiency and effectiveness.
Real-time Input Processing: LLMs enable the processing of inputs in real-time, allowing for immediate response and action. This is particularly crucial in dynamic environments where timely information is essential, such as in financial markets or emergency response scenarios.
Automated Process Execution: LLMs can automate many routine and repetitive tasks, leading to increased efficiency and accuracy. Now already legacy technology of robotic process automation distributing input information via clicking and form filling can amplified by diverse sources of provided input in more complex scenarios.
Enhanced Decision-Making: By processing traditionally unheard of sources of input with great volume, variety, velocity, value, veracity, and variability, LLMs can automatically provide insights and recommendations that assist in decision-making.
Quality Assurance and Error Reduction: LLMs significantly improve the quality assurance aspect of processes by identifying and rectifying errors in real time. This not only enhances the accuracy and reliability of the output but also reduces the time and resources spent on manual quality checks.
Code Generation and Automation: LLMs can already generate code and perform database queries. Looking forward, the role of LLMs in automating complex tasks such as fully automatic code generation based on human intent and bug fixing based on detected issues is poised to grow. This will not only increase efficiency but also enable more sophisticated and complex software solutions to be developed with less human intervention.
In summary, the execution phase of the future is set to be characterized by heightened automation, intelligence, adaptability, and a strong focus on ethical AI and human-AI collaboration, significantly enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness of various business processes. In the future, we may even witness the development of ecosystems comprising autonomous processes that are interlinked and capable of self-optimization and interaction, fostering highly efficient, responsive, and agile business operations.
The Output
In the output phase, there will be a significant leap in how decisions are made and implemented; AI and LLMs will not only suggest actions and improvements but also return in a feedback loop to the execution phase to autonomously execute those corrections. This evolution in automated decision-making will streamline operations and enhance efficiency across various industries. The degree of personalization in outputs will see a substantial increase, with AI systems designed to understand and adapt to individual preferences and contexts. This will lead to highly tailored and relevant content, especially important in fields such as marketing, healthcare, and customer services. The nature of outputs will evolve significantly, moving away from traditional static reports to dynamic, interactive interfaces that allow users to engage with data in a more meaningful way. This shift is expected to be further enhanced through the integration of augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) technologies, making data interaction more immersive and intuitive.
Automated Report Generation: LLMs can automate the creation of complex reports, summaries, and documents. They can extract key insights from data and present them in a clear, concise, and reader-friendly format. This is particularly useful in fields like market research, financial analysis, and project management.
Data Visualization and Interpretation: LLMs can aid in converting complex data sets into understandable visual formats like graphs, charts, and dashboards. This helps in making the data more accessible and actionable for decision-makers.
Predictive Outcomes and Recommendations: In cases where the output is decision-oriented, LLMs can provide predictive insights and recommendations. For instance, in customer relationship management, LLMs can predict customer behavior and recommend actions to enhance engagement.
Personalization and Customization: LLMs can analyze data at an individual level, allowing processes to be tailored to specific needs or preferences. It ensures that each output is relevant to the user, thereby maximizing efficiency and effectiveness. LLMs enable a shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more nuanced, user-centric methodology.
Real-time Output Distribution: LLMs enable the instantaneous dissemination of outputs across various platforms and stakeholders. This is crucial in time-sensitive scenarios like emergency response or real-time market updates.
Overall, the future of the output phase is set to become more interactive, adaptive, and intelligent, revolutionizing how businesses interact with data and make informed decisions. Alongside these technological advancements, there will be a growing emphasis on ethical AI and responsible output management. Ensuring fairness, transparency, and unbiased decision-making in AI-generated outputs will become crucial, underlining the importance of maintaining ethical standards in the era of AI-driven business processes.
Here is a visualization of a system architecture of a possible fully autonomous process, where generated output is processed in a feedback loop and triggers code execution.
Enterprise Architecture Elements
By dissecting an organization into its fundamental components - IT Systems, Databases, Knowledge Bases, Processes, Tasks performed by employees, Management Goals, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - we gain a comprehensive view of the key influenceable elements that actually define success if a company.
IT Systems: These include the hardware and software that enable the company's operations. This might encompass everything from servers and networks to individual workstations and mobile devices, as well as the software applications that run on them. Language models can be integrated into existing IT infrastructure to automate and enhance various tasks. For example, they can be used to develop chatbots for customer service, automate email responses, or assist in data entry and documentation.
Databases: Databases store a vast array of information essential to the company's operations. This can include customer data, transaction records, inventory information, and much more. By analyzing the vast amount of data in corporate databases, language models can generate higher level insights from various useful perspectives about customer behavior and preferences, as well as internal performance and adherence to goals and procedures.
Knowledge Bases: These are repositories of information used by employees and possibly customers. They can include documentation, how-to guides, FAQs, and any other informational resources that support the business's operations or products. Language models can assist in maintaining and updating knowledge bases. They can automatically answer FAQs, update information based on new data, and even suggest improvements or additional content based on user interactions. Mainly, they can make all information in the knowledge base easily understandable towards individual specific questions of both employees and users.
Processes: These are the structured series of steps or activities that are followed to accomplish particular tasks or objectives. Processes are critical in ensuring consistency and efficiency in operations. We have looked at processes in the section above.
Tasks Performed by Employees: These are the individual activities that employees carry out as part of their roles. They vary widely depending on the nature of the job and the organization's industry. Language models can augment employee tasks by supporting them throughout the execution with procedure information support, useful insights, or hints to next steps.
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators): KPIs are metrics used to evaluate the success of an organization or of a particular activity in which it engages. They help in measuring the company's performance against its strategic and operational goals. LLMs can be used to analyze the performance data, providing insights and suggestions for improvement. For example, they can identify patterns in customer feedback that correlate with changes in KPIs.
Goals Set Up by Management: These are the objectives or targets established by the company's leadership. They guide the direction of the company and provide a framework for decision-making and strategy. Language models can assist in tracking and reporting on progress towards these goals, as well as generate better objectives according to all gathered insights, performance evaluation and any kind of feedback.
Examples of Enterprise Processes Amplification
Customer-Employee-IT system Interactions can be categorized in following way below. We aim to group processes present in corporations in terms of potential for further automation.
Document-to-Analysis Processing
In these cases, documents can be searched, gathered and analyzed creating a structured output directly used for decision making
Procedure Generation: By processing documents, such as norms, instructions, and contracts, next steps can be generated.
Performance Analysis Tools: Reports, spreadsheets, and other documents can be evaluated to assess company's performance. It can highlight areas of strength, weakness, and suggest areas for improvement.
Market Intelligence Platforms: Analyzing competitor offerings, technological and business trends, and customer needs from various market data sources, threats and opportunities for strategic planning can be highlighted.
Form Processing-to-Information Repurposing
Here, information is collected through forms and then reformulated or reformatted for use in other systems or purposes.
Expense Management: Employees submit expense reports through a form; this data is then reformatted for use in accounting systems for reimbursement and financial reporting.
Recruitment and Applicant Tracking: Candidate information is collected via application forms and then repurposed across various HR platforms for screening, interviewing, and onboarding processes.
Quality Control Documentation Systems: Recored quality inspection results, noted defects or non-conformities, and recommended corrective actions are analyzed in order to report on the product quality.
Automatic Input-to-Action Processing
This involves systems that automatically take action based on the information received without human intervention.
Automated Payroll Processing: When employees enter their personal details, work hours, and leave information, the system automatically calculates salaries, deductions, and generates pay slips.
Inventory Replenishment: A system where inventory levels are continuously monitored, and when stock falls below a certain threshold, it automatically generates and sends purchase orders to suppliers.
Customer Order Processing: An e-commerce platform where customer orders are automatically processed, with inventory updated and logistics for shipping initiated without manual intervention.
This category involves automated systems that record issues or requests and provide evidence or tracking of these issues.
Real-time Fraud Detection: Transactions can be continuously monitored, and if a transaction is flagged as suspicious, the system automatically blocks the transaction and alerts the fraud team.
IT Service Desk Ticketing: Technical issue can be (semi)-automatically recorded. IT service management system can then automatically take action and let the developers only approve the codebase change.
Predictive Maintenance in Manufacturing: Systems that monitor machinery and predict failures before they occur. Sensors track various parameters, and if they indicate a potential breakdown, the system schedules maintenance automatically and alerts the maintenance team.
Automated Monitoring-to-Recommended Steps
Quality Control Incident Reporting and Compliance Monitoring: Systems can look at execution logs and evaluate adherence to regulations and company policies, or report any quality issues or defects through a system. This automatically creates a record for quality assurance teams, safety, data protection, and ethical conduct teams. recommending the optimal steps to take to address the issue.
Project Management Dashboards: Status updates of ongoing projects, including any issues, milestones achieved, and next steps can be generated and analyzed to populate dashboards for management to monitor project progress and resource allocation.
Customer Dissatisfaction Tracking: Each customer service interaction can be analyzed and any areas for improvement can automatically be logged. Reparation steps for service improvement and training can be recommended.
User Intent Evidence-to-Opportunity Detection
This involves processing inputs that reflect the intentions or feedback of users, typically for the purpose of enhancing user experience or service.
User Behavior Analysis: Customer’s interactions through website, chatbot, phone can be analyzed in order to understand how users engage with the company, to analyze their intent and what brought them here in order to optimize the portfolio and nature of services provided.
Social Media Monitoring: Companies use tools to monitor social media for mentions of their brand, products, or services. The sentiments and topics expressed provide insights into public perception and user intent which can be used for better branding and marketing.
Market Research Surveys: Potential or existing customers can be surveyed to provide information about their preferences and needs. This information is crucial for understanding market trends and user demands.
Insight-to-Strategic Planning
Here, information can be projected analytically to empower insights, that can then be transformed into strategic priorities and plans
Innovation and Project Proposal Systems: Proposal from employees can be accompanied by real time market analysis to capture ideas potential. The project objectives, required resources, timelines, and potential impacts can then be generated based on similar projects from the past.
R&D Experimentation Reports: Methodologies, results, and observations from various experiments can be logged and analyzed for most optimal configurations. This information can then be used to inform future research directions and product development strategies.
Strategic Impact Alignment: Tools for assessing the potential strategic impact of new initiatives, market changes, or internal projects can be analyzed in terms of their alignment with overall context of company initiatives and strategic goals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the exploration of Large Language Models (LLMs) as a transformative enterprise operating system unveils an exciting horizon in the realm of infomation processing, business process automation and decision-making about the outcomes.
The concept of an LLM operating system suggests a future where these models not only support but actively drive business processes. By interconnecting system interfaces with underlying processes and documents, LLMs can effectively manage and enhance various enterprise architecture elements, including IT systems, databases, knowledge bases, and more.
The amplification of enterprise processes through LLMs offers a glimpse into a future where mundane and repetitive tasks are automated, allowing human employees to focus on more complex and creative aspects of their work. This shift not only optimizes operational efficiency but also fosters a more engaging and fulfilling work environment.
However, alongside these technological advancements, it is crucial to address and mitigate the challenges and limitations inherent in LLMs. Ensuring responsible and ethical use, addressing biases, and maintaining transparency and fairness in AI-generated outputs are paramount. As we advance, the harmonious integration of human expertise with the cognitive capabilities of LLMs will be key to unlocking the full potential of this technology in transforming business processes and decision-making.
In essence, by harnessing the power of AI and machine learning, businesses can look forward to more dynamic, responsive, and intelligent operational models that not only meet but anticipate and shape market demands and customer needs.
